SBIR Phase I: A home-compostable replacement to petroleum-based flexible packaging derived from seaweed

SBIR 第一阶段：以海藻为原料的石油基软包装的家庭可堆肥替代品

• 批准号: 2302043
• 负责人: Joakim Engstrom
• 金额: $ 27.24万
• 依托单位: SWAY INNOVATION CO.
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2023-09-15 至 2024-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2302043&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: SBIR; Phase; home; compostable; replacement

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is the development of a new type of melt-processable pellet made utilizing phycocolloids derived from different seaweed materials. Today, the commercial plastic packaging industry is reliant on the polymerization of petroleum derivatives, which are then compounded or melt-processed before being converted into finished goods. Mounting consumer backlash against plastic waste, domestic and international regulations, and an increased focus on curtailing dependence on petroleum are driving the demand for compostable packaging solutions that can service the biodegradable packaging market which is set to grow to $812 billion by 2030. By using seaweed as an alternative feedstock, the team's goal is to eliminate the need for more environmentally intensive inputs including petroleum as well as other terrestrial crops. Furthermore, this material technology is being designed for compatibility with existing plastic manufacturing infrastructure – thereby streamlining a path to scale and cost competitiveness. The anticipated outcome of this project is the development of the first commercially viable polymeric material predominantly derived from seaweed, that is melt-processed and compostable. This breakthrough will unlock a renewable plastic replacement that meets essential requirements for cost, scalability, and environmental impact. The intellectual merit of this project focuses on the development of a viable pathway for creating melt-processable pellets from seaweed. The goal is to enable the conversion of these pellets using conventional machinery to produce flexible film packaging. The main technical challenge to overcome in achieving successful commercialization is that seaweed materials do not melt at suitable processing temperatures, as do traditional polymers. Consequently, the resulting material does not possess the necessary mechanical properties required for flexible packaging. To address this challenge, the team will explore the tempering of seaweed chemistry and associated materials with selected commercial compostable polymers. This approach aims to achieve comparable strain at break, tensile strength, and stiffness to conventional thin film packaging while ensuring home compostability. While previous research and applications have explored the use of seaweed for less economically viable film technologies, the unique contribution of this effort lies in combining varying seaweed chemistries and implementing them as a melt-processable seaweed material.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是开发一种新型的可熔融加工颗粒，该颗粒利用来自不同海藻材料的藻胶体制成。今天，商业塑料包装行业依赖于石油衍生物的聚合，然后在转化为成品之前进行复合或熔融加工。消费者对塑料废物的强烈反对，国内和国际法规以及对减少对石油依赖的日益关注，正在推动对可堆肥包装解决方案的需求，这些解决方案可以服务于可生物降解包装市场，到2030年将增长到8120亿美元。通过使用海藻作为替代原料，该团队的目标是消除对包括石油和其他陆地作物在内的环境密集型投入的需求。此外，这种材料技术的设计与现有的塑料制造基础设施兼容，从而简化了规模和成本竞争力的途径。该项目的预期成果是开发出第一种商业上可行的聚合物材料，主要来自海藻，可熔融加工和堆肥。这一突破将开启可再生塑料替代品，满足成本，可扩展性和环境影响的基本要求。该项目的智力价值集中在开发一种从海藻中生产可熔融加工颗粒的可行途径。我们的目标是使用传统机械将这些颗粒转化为柔性薄膜包装。在实现成功商业化方面需要克服的主要技术挑战是海藻材料不像传统聚合物那样在适当的加工温度下熔化。因此，所得材料不具备软包装所需的必要机械性能。为了应对这一挑战，该团队将探索海藻化学和相关材料与选定的商业可堆肥聚合物的调和。这种方法旨在实现与传统薄膜包装相当的断裂应变、拉伸强度和刚度，同时确保家庭可堆肥性。 虽然以前的研究和应用已经探索了海藻在经济上不太可行的薄膜技术中的应用，但这项工作的独特贡献在于将不同的海藻化学成分结合起来，并将其作为可熔融加工的海藻材料。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。